Southwest Airways loyalists have run a convoluted course this yr, maintaining with all the pieces from main shifts in its baggage insurance policies, boarding course of, seat assignments and route networks to an overhaul of its cobranded bank cards.
However one fan-favorite facet has remained by the noise: the coveted Southwest Companion Cross, which is well among the finest offers in journey. This perk basically permits you to create your personal buy-one-get-one airfare voucher, letting you carry a accomplice, baby, mother or father or pal with you on your whole Southwest flights for simply the price of taxes and costs on their ticket.
Even should you ebook your flight with Fast Rewards factors, your companion can nonetheless fly with you utilizing the Companion Cross.
Here is what you want to learn about timing Southwest bank card functions to make your Companion Cross last more.
completely time a Southwest Companion Cross
To earn a Companion Cross, it’s essential to earn 135,000 qualifying factors in a calendar yr.
When you get hold of the Companion Cross, it is legitimate for the remainder of the yr wherein you earn it, plus the whole subsequent calendar yr.
That timing makes a giant distinction. For instance:
- Earn it in November or December 2025, and it will be legitimate by the tip of 2026.
- Earn it in Q1 of 2026, and it will final by December 2027, virtually two full years of two-for-one journey.
That is why the perfect technique is to start out incomes late this yr and have your qualifying factors publish early in 2026.
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What exercise counts towards the Companion Cross?
For the reason that various for incomes the Companion Cross requires taking 100 flights with Southwest, incomes it by factors is the quickest and best path for most individuals. Southwest defines what kinds of factors exercise rely towards incomes the Companion Cross as:
The next don’t rely as qualifying exercise:
- Flight bonus factors
- Getaways by Southwest™ trip bookings
- New-member bonuses for becoming a member of Fast Rewards
- Companion bonus factors apart from these earned with Southwest Airways cobranded playing cards
- Factors transformed from resort and automotive rental loyalty applications, e-Rewards, Valued Opinions surveys or Diners Membership
- Factors purchases
- Factors transferred between members
- Factors transferred from Chase Final Rewards
- Reward journey
- Tier bonus factors
Southwest additionally notes that the Companion Cross is earned from factors posted to your account throughout the identical calendar yr, so it’s essential to begin once more from zero on January 1 of every yr.
For that motive, it is crucial that bonus factors earned from Southwest card welcome bonuses publish to your account in early Q1 2026.
Now that you understand how the Companion Cross is earned, let’s dive into some high methods for qualifying — and the best way to preserve it for practically two years.
Associated: Obtained a brand new bank card? Listed here are 4 ideas that will help you earn your welcome bonus
Incomes the factors you want to obtain the Companion Cross
Realizing you will not wish to earn the Companion Cross till Q1 of 2026, the tip of this yr is a superb time to start out planning your Southwest Companion Cross acquisition.
Earn a Companion Cross with a Southwest private card
The present bonus on all three private playing cards:
The data for the Southwest Fast Rewards Premier Credit score Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Every card permits new cardholders to earn 85,000 factors after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. That welcome bonus will get you nicely over 50% of the best way towards the Companion Cross.
Plus, every card comes with 10,000 Companion Cross qualifying factors credited to your account inside 30 days from account opening. So when mixed with the welcome supply, you’d solely have to earn 40,000 extra factors to earn a Companion Cross.
Associated: rapidly earn the Southwest Companion Cross
Earn a Companion Cross with a Southwest enterprise card
In case you’re a small-business proprietor, you possibly can think about making use of for one in every of Southwest’s enterprise playing cards:
You could possibly apply for each enterprise playing cards and earn the Companion Cross by their welcome bonuses, however pairing one private card and one enterprise card is the most affordable and most effective method to hit the 135,000-point mark.
For instance, opening the Southwest Plus and Southwest Premier Enterprise playing cards and incomes each bonuses may web you round 145,000 factors — sufficient to safe the Companion Cross — with a mixed $248 in annual charges.
Moreover, there are different methods to earn the remaining factors if you cannot open two playing cards, equivalent to further bank card spending, truly flying on eligible Southwest fares and accomplice exercise; however the quickest method to earn a Companion Cross is by opening a Southwest enterprise card in tandem with a Southwest private card now should you’re eligible.
Associated: Who qualifies for a enterprise card
Technique for incomes the Southwest Companion Cross in 2026-2027
The quickest method to earn a Companion Cross is to open a Southwest private and enterprise card now. Their mixed welcome bonuses alone can earn you one.
Nonetheless, should you’re unable to open each playing cards, going the private card route is your greatest wager, as you’d earn at the least 95,000 qualifying factors (from the welcome supply and the ten,000 Companion factors increase), which might get you closest to incomes the Companion Cross.
No matter which route you go, you may wish to start making use of for a Southwest card now.
It is necessary to notice that transferred factors from playing cards that earn Chase Final Rewards, just like the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and costs), to your Southwest Fast Rewards account do not rely towards the Companion Cross.
Nonetheless, upon getting earned the Companion Cross, you’ll be able to switch factors to Fast Rewards from Chase to ebook your Southwest award tickets and have your designated companion fly with you mainly for no further value.
Associated: redeem factors with the Southwest Fast Rewards program
Who’s eligible for a brand new Southwest bank card?
The eligibility guidelines for Southwest’s playing cards are fairly strict. The phrases state:
“The product just isn’t out there to both (i) present Cardmembers of any Southwest Fast Rewards® Credit score Card, or (ii) earlier Cardmembers of any Southwest Fast Rewards Credit score Card who obtained a brand new Cardmember bonus throughout the final 24 months. This doesn’t apply to Cardmembers of the Southwest Fast Rewards Enterprise Card and Worker Credit score Card merchandise.”
This implies that you may solely obtain the new-cardmember bonus on one Southwest private bank card inside a 24-month cycle, so you should definitely select the cardboard that gives the perfect bonus doable. Additionally be aware that should you at present have any open Southwest private bank cards, you will not be eligible for these gives.
In the meantime, the enterprise card eligibility guidelines aren’t as strict as these of the private Southwest playing cards. The enterprise card restrictions state:
“This new Cardmember bonus supply just isn’t out there to both (i) present Cardmembers of this enterprise bank card, or (ii) earlier Cardmembers of this enterprise bank card who obtained a brand new Cardmember bonus for this enterprise bank card throughout the final 24 months.”
This implies you’ll be able to’t have earned a bonus on the Southwest enterprise card you are making use of for prior to now 24 months, and you can also’t at present maintain the Southwest enterprise card you are making use of for, however you’ll be able to apply for the opposite one.
Nonetheless, bear in mind that you may earn a bonus from a small-business bank card and a private bank card from Southwest in the identical calendar yr to get nearer to acquiring a Companion Cross. Alternatively, you possibly can get two small-business card bonuses; you simply cannot get two private playing cards.
And do not forget about Chase’s 5/24 rule. In case you’ve opened 5 or extra new private bank cards throughout any card issuers within the final 24 months, you may doubtless be denied should you apply for a Southwest card.
Associated: Do I want a enterprise to get a enterprise bank card?
Backside line
Now’s the time to lock in your Southwest Companion Cross technique. By making use of for one private and one enterprise Southwest card earlier than the yr ends — and timing your spend so welcome bonuses publish in early 2026 — you’ll be able to safe practically two full years of two-for-one journey by the tip of 2027.
And should you choose to start out smaller, even one private card can get you a lot of the manner there and each level you earn after that strikes you even nearer.
Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Plus Credit score Card
Be taught extra: Southwest Fast Rewards Premier Credit score Card
Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Precedence Credit score Card
Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Efficiency Enterprise Credit score Card
Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Premier Enterprise Credit score Card
